1. Field of the Related Art
The present disclosure relates to document processing systems, such as printing systems, and more particularly, to a method and system for enabling document processing services (including printing) on a plurality of multifunction devices (MFDs) by utilizing a contract-free “pay-as-you-go” system.
2. Background of the Related Art
The concept of “network printing,” in which any of a plurality of computers submit digital data to one of any number of printers over a network, is well known. A conventional printing system uses a client/server architecture that usually includes three primary components. These components include (i) a client, (ii) a server, and (iii) an output device. The client conveys print and management requests to the server and receives responses from the server that arise in response to the submitted requests. The server receives these requests from the client, performs the required actions for each request, and returns the responses to the client. One such request from a client is a print request, i.e., a request to print one or more copies of one or more documents, with the printed pages output using one or more features. A print request may represent a collection of one or more documents to be printed, as well as instructions for printing. The server organizes the documents indicated in the print request submitted by the client into a print job. The server then sends the print job and any associated job control commands to an output device.
The output device is a physical device, or hardware, that is capable of rendering images of documents and producing hard copy output of the print jobs received from the server. The output device can then return responses to the server regarding its current state or the status of the received print jobs. The output device is commonly a printer. However, the output device may also be any type of multifunction device (MFD).
In general, a MFD operates as a plurality of different imaging devices, including, but not limited to, a printer, copier, fax machine, and/or scanner. In recent years the basic office copier has evolved into what can be referred to as a MFD. With digital technology, a machine with the basic outward appearance of a traditional copier can perform at least the additional functions of printing documents submitted in digital form over a network, sending and receiving messages via facsimile, recording hard-copy original images in digital form and sending the resulting data over a network, such as in electronic mail and/or recording hard-copy original images in digital form on a compact disc or equivalent medium.
In the area of digital printing and copying, there has been a growth in demand for MFDs. Such MFD devices may assume the form of an arrangement in which a single print engine (e.g., xerographic or thermal ink jet print engine) is coupled with a plurality of different image input devices (or “services”), with such devices being adapted to produce image related information for use by the printer or transmitted over a network. The image related information, in one example, could have its origin in video facsimile signals, microfilm, data processing information, light scanning platens for full size documents, aperture cards, and microfiche. MFDs provide a broader range of functionality than traditional single-function devices, such as dedicated printers, copiers, and scanners. As a result, since MFDs are universally used, and since many MFDs can be quite pricey for consumers/customers, it would be useful to enable several users of various economic means to have access to such expensive MFDs on a “pay-as-you-go” basis.
For example, in today's networking environments, long-term contractual agreements and high upfront costs have made some print devices, including MFDs, economically out of reach for several customers. In conventional systems, there is no mechanism to pay low, flexible amounts of money that may depend on seasonal print/usage volume without contractual obligations. Moreover, shipping delays are prevalent when a consumable has to be replenished by a customer for a single MFD or a multitude of MFDs that belong to a fleet of MFDs. Even for a small shipment size there may be a need for the consumer to transport the consumable to the MFD involving a delay. Thus, in networked environments employing a large number of MFDs, it is more economical to operate MFDs on a “pay-as-you-go” basis.
Consequently, current systems lack the capability to effectively provide for cheap or economical solutions for customers desiring to use one or more MFDs that may have seasonal demand cycles. The present disclosure is intended to overcome the drawbacks of other methods by providing for a system and method for enabling printing on a plurality of MFDs by utilizing a contract-free “pay-as-you-go” system.